Judas on the Playground
by smokingace
Summary: A nightmare is a sudden shift of events. Lavi says goodbye to Allen.


**Title:** Judas on the Playground

**Fandom:** DGM

**Author:** su-dama/smokingace

**Pairing:** Allen, Lavi, Kanda, Link

**Rating:** PG-13

**Words: **1, 050

**Disclaimer:** DGM belongs to Hoshino Katsura et al.

**A/N:** This is how I pass the time, whee.

**-Judas on the Playground-**

Allen had taken a licorice from Link and run off with it, making a skid mark on the entrance hall's floor. He skips in place, smiling back at him. He's gotten pretty good at skiving off the trivial duties the authorities seem to think will define the sort of truancy that they are convinced Allen is capable of.

Link makes some comment about doing away with Walker in whatever way he sees fit, which should sound like Allen shouldn't put it past him. Probably. But Allen will still put it past him.

Standing there gloating, he notices Lavi closing the entrance doors. "_Save meee_," Allen calls out. He catches up to Lavi, waving the licorice in the air like a lasso. Lavi automatically snips it in two and puts that piece in his pocket.

"Stealing things again, I see," Lavi says hypocritically.

"It's not as if I'm still picking for a living," Allen says, chewing on the piece handed back to him and drooling somewhat. He wipes his chin and plays with his fringe, curling it around his finger, dwelling on how his new boots have scuff marks.

"Savin' that face of yours?"

Allen elbows him. Lavi elbows back. Allen sticks his tongue out. Lavi makes to pinch it. They bump shoulders.

"It's not that. I was a good kid, I was."

Lavi lets out a snort. "I can _hardly_ imagine that."

"I was so! _I'd even clean your chimney if you asked me_," Allen says in his purring voice of luuurve. He likes to use it once in a while to convince others of his, uh, flirtation devices.

"Aw, dun say it like that! You sound so. . ."

"Carnal?"

"Like a baby deer's comin' onto me."

Allen tries to take back the piece Lavi had stolen from him with brute force. Lavi only laughs and puts him in a headlock. They struggle like boys do.

"_Lavi_," Bookman says. Allen starts blushing for his own reasons. Bookman must be giving them his _no-more-fooling-for-fools _face. The very face he's seen Lavi try on for size.

"Go on ahead, Gramps, I'll be right there."

Allen studies the cobblestones. He wonders if Lavi gets hot in his coat. His neck is sweating, being so near Lavi's chest. His neck starts to grate like cheese. He becomes so hot and bothered that he would just love to bury himself. The scent of books is strong.

Lavi is strong. "Is this how they made you submit, little Allen?"

Allen goes still from trying to get away.

What.

"Is this how you groveled when He found you?"

What.

He doesn't know what to do or say or how to feel except just. "Just lemme go. Lemme go."

And as if he hadn't said something so out of tune, Lavi returns to his usual hardy laughter, his uniform scratching Allen's cheek and causing such friction that it burns. He holds his cheek as Lavi continues on the walk by himself.

It's not even an issue, wherever he's going this time. Allen should know where he stands, where they're standing on this stage. It is just like the Earl said.

They're on one huge fucking chessboard.

"Hey," he says.

Lavi turns around, eye wide, hair tousled around the headband. "What, white boy."

What. "What's _wrong_ with you? All I did was walk with you. You're acting _weird_."

Lavi grins, and it's almost. . .

Obsolete.

"I apologize. Stupid occupational hazards 'n shit. Sorry, yo." He attempts to wave Allen off.

"Hey. No. Hey, wait -" Um, what exactly is going on here?

"Sorry, white boy, it is how it is." Lavi waves him off again, walking quicker ahead.

There are these African drum rolls and shakings and wind chimes going off inside Allen's head. He knows he's missing a vital beat to the music, in his chest, and that this could be the end. And then he gets it. He gets it good. Lavi is leaving, if that is even his name anymore, and Allen is being left behind, as if Lavi had never existed to him. Lavi is taking himself out of the game, though continuing to act.

As if Allen had never been of any value to him.

Talk about being sorry.

"_Bookman Junior_," Allen calls, throwing his piece of licorice at Lavi's face when he turns at the name. Allen doesn't know what else to do. This is just. This is just too surreal. "How did you. . ?"

_How did you know how did you know how did you know they called me that how did you know I begged my father how -_

Lavi picks the licorice up from the pavement, staring at it for a moment before stuffing it into his pocket. He re-shoulders his bag. Now the strangest, most frightening expression befalls his face, like a night without the moon, but then it returns to its normal _I-can-do-no-harm_.

Hell.

Allen is not falling for it. He's not about to fall for the fact Lavi is placing a hand over his chest, fingers digging into the cloth like claws. A kind of

heart-stopping

gesture. His lips even part despite the end to the conversation. He remains like that for a moment, untouchable, and then the moment is up, moving too quickly for the naked eye. It is speeding away, forsaking Allen back in his childhood alleyway, all alone.

He won't be sleeping very well tonight.

Someone catches up to Allen. He has a feeling that it's the first person on his mind.

"He can't be leaving us?" Allen asks through pinched lips.

Kanda stares straight ahead.

The moment Lavi crosses the road and turns the corner into the waking city, Allen shouts, "I! I bet, I bet you were a kid who broke his mama's heart!" But there is no response, only the people going about their everyday lives. Allen wipes his mouth. He can just hear Lavi thinking, _ha, what mama._

_You don't even know._

Kanda now looks at Allen with an ill face. "Game over," he says. "The Earl will want you soon."

Allen, fists sweating, turns around and Link is standing there, arms tucked behind his back. His chin tilts in the morning light.

"It's time to call Him out, Walker," Link says. The way he brings a licorice to his lips from behind his back is so impossible.

_You don't even know._


End file.
